James Stewart’s racing career is now six seasons behind him. At the end of 2021, the five-year mark since his last race in 2016, he became eligible for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and he got the vote in his first year of eligibility.
Related: 2022 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Honors Six Inductees
With that much time rapidly gapping into the rear-view mirror, our staff is taking a look back at their memories of James Stewart’s racing days.
Jason Thomas:James Stewart was the fastest motorcycle racer I have ever seen. That designation alone warrants a Hall of Fame entry in my mind, but he also has the wins and titles to go along with that Fastest Man on the Planet aura. He invented technique, most notably the "Bubba Scrub", and forced everyone to rethink their approach to racing. I can specifically remember sitting on the couch with Chad Reed in the 2006-2009 era, watching James do ridiculous things on the race replay and then doing drills to try to emulate. He was a true innovator on the motorcycle and an entertainer while he did it. He was always conscious of the fans when he won races, doing sprinkler dances, or "the worm." The fans responded, too, making him one of the most popular riders in the sport's history. He had the sport in the palm of his hand for several years.
Even with all of the success, I can't help but feel like he left wins and titles on the table. In 2007's outdoor championship, he led most of the way before a crash at Washougal forced him to retire from the series. Similarly, the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross title felt like it was his to lose when he exited for knee surgery. The 2010 and 2011 were mixed bags with success but also a plethora of inconsistency frustration. The 2012 outdoor series was another missed opportunity as he suffered a heavy crash at Thunder Valley. So many wins but also, so many "what-if's", too. That's where I'm torn on where to place him in the upper echelons of all-timers. I truly feel he had the talent to be the best the sport has ever seen. Unfortunately, crashes and a gentleman named Ricky Carmichael may have derailed that inevitability. I think he lands at #3 for me on the all-time list. I can't put him above Jeremy McGrath and his 72 premier class AMA Supercross wins nor Carmichael's 15 titles and more importantly, the fact that RC beat Stew in their heads up battles. His raw talent, speed, and legacy put him above the likes of Rick Johnson, Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, or Eli Tomac, though. When I ask myself which rider made me shake my head in amazement more than any other, Stew wins that debate every time. There will likely never be another like him.
Steve Matthes: I once wrote a blog in the early days of PulpMX that I thought James Stewart was going to shatter every record in our sport. This didn't make Ricky Carmichael and/or his people very happy but I really thought that back then. And yeah, I was wrong on that but James Stewart did hang it up with the second most wins in supercross and motocross behind that RC guy so not so shabby, right?
I've always felt like I had a bit more of a relationship with James than other media guys, just because when he was teammates with Tim Ferry I was around the Kawasaki truck so much and I think he appreciated that I called it like I saw it. Not slamming Carmichael here, but RC's people around him really catered to the media covering the sport back then. They did a better job at the PR game than James’ people did, so there was, in my opinion, a pro RC slant from the press when it came to these two legends racing each other. And also, truthfully, James made it tough on himself when it came to the media because he didn't do a lot of it and he ditched out on more than a few obligations over the years. But Stew and I certainly had a decent texting relationship and I like to think I got a small look at the things he was thinking about.
I think he faced some racism from fans in our sport, I think he felt like a bit of an outsider at times (again, some of this he brought on himself) and then in these battles with Carmichael, the fans and industry were mostly pulling for RC. There's a reason why we saw Stew retreat a bit more into his shell when he got on the big bikes and had to start racing RC.
And yes, he should have handled his TUE deal better but then again, the draconian FIM/WADA rules really robbed him (and others) of some wins and us of more "Stewable" things to watch. After that, he was deep into his own bitterness with the sport and unhappiness with the way things went.
But he's made peace with that, with himself, with his career and he's back in the sport. And we are all better off for it. I would've put long odds at Stew showing up at his own AMA HOF induction but thankfully he's back in the sport with a podcast, he's doing TV, he was coaching a rider, and he's...around!
It's currently 2022. James Stewart retired in 2016 and yet today if we're out on a track walk for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship, you will hear current riders talking about an obstacle and whether or not James Stewart could clear it. I mean, is there a better legacy to leave than to be on the minds of racers every Saturday night? That's the impact that James Stewart had on our sport.
![James Stewart poses with his two sons, Tabiahs (center) and Bacari (left).]()
James Stewart poses with his two sons, Tabiahs (center) and Bacari (left). Mitch Kendra ![Stew gave a passionate speech on Friday night during the Class of 2022 induction ceremony.]()
Stew gave a passionate speech on Friday night during the Class of 2022 induction ceremony. Mitch Kendra ![James Stewart's 2008 Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.]()
James Stewart's 2008 Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Mitch Kendra ![Tabiahs (right) and Bacari (center) pose with their dad at the public unveiling of the Class of 2022 display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.]()
Tabiahs (right) and Bacari (center) pose with their dad at the public unveiling of the Class of 2022 display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Mitch Kendra
Jason Weigandt: The weight of great expectations turned out to be a blessing and a curse for James Stewart. Right from the start, everyone knew he had mind-boggling abilities and the potential to dominate at a higher level than anyone before him. Thus, that became the standard he would be judged by: if he couldn’t take down the McGrath or Carmichael records, was he a success?
That all seemed like a fair and normal judgement in the moment, but when you look at it with some distance, it’s not very fair or normal. No other rider, ever, will be judged against that standard. James had to chase the ghosts and the record books, and while he did get to battle Carmichael head-to-head for a span and RC still had the edge outdoors, I’m sure James feels like he eventually would have solved it and gotten the wins and titles against RC the same way RC eventually turned the tables on McGrath. One could debate this forever, but that shouldn’t be the point, though. That was important at one point, especially when they were lined up together on the same gate. It doesn’t matter now. Judge James by the standard of any other racer, as in, did he win? He sure did. He won a ton, the second most ever in combined MX and SX victories. Second most victories ever in your sport? That makes him a success by any normal standard. As the years have worn away, so has the need for the comparison. Now, we just get to say that all of these legends are bad dudes, superstars, and heroes. We can leave it at that and appreciate the memories.
But during his career, it was his curse and also his blessing. While James was held to outsized expectations on the track and off (not one was he expected to break the racing records, but also launch the sport into mainstream popularity) those same standards made his star shine brighter. James wasn’t just the next big thing he was the thing. There will never be a racer entering the pro ranks with more hype than James, or entering the big-bike class with more hype than James. Ever. He drew the most attention, most times for the better but sometimes for the worse. He was a super duper star in every sense of the word. While being held to such a high standard probably wasn’t fair to James, many other riders surely didn’t think it was fair that James was always going to be a bigger deal than them. They could win races and titles, but they weren’t James Stewart.
There will only be one. It’s his blessing and his curse. I’m glad we got to see it, and glad he’s back around the sport to add as much as he can even without a motorcycle. It helps the sport to keep James’ name alive and current, because we’re not going to get anything quite like it again.
Main image: Stewart at the 2008 Phoenix Supercross, photo by Simon Cudby
